The statist pigs who run this country don't listen to, or read about,
what we have to say in any regard. We just are not important enough
to be bothered with, unless their is some kind of photo opportunity,
or news worth event that gets them face time or sound bite exposure
-- most usually at our expense.

They let their bureaucratic underlings in the various three letter
agencies monitor us for content, and if there is even a hint in the
'ether' that something is going down or might happen, the locals are
informed to 'let's get ready to rumble', and then the parade of fools
is gathered up for the show-down. The parade of fools is the local
press, and a media hack or two for effect.

We are largely unimportant. All we do is let off steam to whatever
person will hear or read us. That is, we are mostly unimportant just
yet.

We reenforce each other's thoughts of liberty, speaking of how things
are supposed to be, if the top law of this land were followed to the
letter. And that is good, because it tells us -- all of us -- that we
are not unique, nor are we alone. And it certainly can't hurt if we
happen to sharpen our communication skills in the process.

There is a pervasive ratio, that I wish could be proven by some
empirical method, that says that for every person who writes a letter
to the editor in a larger news paper, there are at least 100 more who
feel the same.

I wonder how many other people share our sentiments besides the
libertarians who subscribe to the TLE?

If there are 100 more libertarians for each subscriber, and maybe 100
more for each of them, that is a considerable number.

There are a lot of people who don't have a computer, and of the
considerable number of those who do, many don't have access to the
'net'. I can't begin to tell you how many people I work with that
build the most complex commercial aircraft systems you will ever see,
and while they use and employ top-of-the-line computers at work, do
not have one at home. Some of those people are actually afraid of
computers. All this, you understand, in the very heart of the area of
the country where the 'net' reigns damn near supreme.

I do what I can to try and educate them, but one man can only
accomplish so much.

There are a lot of people who merely use that computer for doing
'surface' searches, and we don't even factor into their awareness. We
are under the water of their surface world, and only come into view
when we get their attention either for something we have said or have
done, or impacted their lives in some way.

Let's face it: if something is not on your radar of interest
assessment, you are essentially non-existent.

Many kids don't see loss of liberty as a big deal, since their idea
of liberty is not being grounded. Most kids live in the moment of
'now'. That is how they are being raised. And, that is the essential
essence of the child and juvenile mindset: nothing is more important
than what is happening RIGHT NOW. And, if it doesn't provide some
kind of sensory pleasure or gratification, it is largely irrelevant.

Not without coincidence, this is how their parents view the matter as
well. If you have not 'plugged into' the wall socket of what really
matters, then you are essentially not 'energized'. That is where most
Americans are, like it or not.

Fifty percent did not vote at all, and the other fifty divided among
their various choices. What happened to the fifty who didn't vote?
What the hell were they doing? That bothers me.

That Al 'let's recount until it's right' Gore got less than 25
percent and still came close is not the problem.

If those who didn't vote are raising some very interesting questions.

Who the hell are those people?

Where and in what states are they mostly located?

And, why do they see their input as irrelevant?

But mostly, of what political leaning are they?

Are they non-voters to keep their name out of the official rosters of
citizens? There's a thought. The truly unknowns, the politicians
dream and nightmare all rolled into one: the people who just want to
be left alone. Like most of us who subscribe to the TLE.

But that takes me right back to the beginning: getting the message
out. Getting the exposure, without causing alarm bells in fascist
central to go off.

I'm thinking we haven't -- yet -- hit upon the right theme.

Our challenge is to make this medium THE message, so much so, that
almost every time a persons accesses the net, the Libertarian message
of liberty is there to be accessed.

In the meantime, keep your tongue wet, your powder dry, your
attention at the ready, and your butt in gear!

Watership Down is my personal favorite, and I recommend it for any
kid who is old enough to deal with it (A few scenes are pretty
graphic and bloody, in the name of making the story more real...). It
works on several levels, as pure entertainment and political
philosophy , as well as by being a wonderfully produced film...

This is the only explicitly libertarian offering I know of, but there
are MANY good children's films with heros and heroines who exemplify
honor and integrity.

I agree, though, that some of Neil's works are prime candidates for a
film treatment....

Regarding election in Florida, I think the democratic systematic
theft will be harmful to them for two reasons: blatently thumbing
their nose at the military, and lowering the general confidence in
the election.

The only reason an abusive government stays in power is because of
its military. One big reason democracy "works" is because people
believe in the NEXT election.

Either the democratic party machine is terminally stupid, or they are
so confident in their power that they just don't care any more.

And here I thought they were just evil, and it was the Republicans
who were just stupid.

Somewhere on VHS I have
Independence Day,
[also DVD] a movie El Neil has
referred to as "what appears to be a joyous celebration of human
competence and freedom containing not a single mistake, even from a
strictly Libertarian viewpoint." (from his essay "Is Someone
Collecting Ambroses?" which can be found on this site)

I've had the same thoughts Jeff Colonnesi wrote about in TLE #100
(With the Tiniest of Fanfare), so it's not surprising that I think
he's correct about targeting libertarian themed movies at kids. Grab
the agitprop by the lapels and make it do liberty's bidding for a
change!

A computer-animated production might be easiest and cheapest.
Several are being produced for Saturday morning kids' programming and
have been for years now. I recently watched a modernized, PC,
made-for-TV version of
Starship Troopers that was called Roughnecks
(or something like that). It consisted of several 30 minute episodes
and was based on the movie that came out a few years ago. I think it
was produced in Canada of all places. Even though it was only
loosely based on Heinlein's book, it was still entertaining. One
memorable scene had a pilot up-chucking in the cockpit after a
particularly hair-raising event. I laughed my ass off (and still
can't get it reattached).

Maybe a series of Saturday morning Libertoons?

What about comic books? Since they're sometimes turned into huge
motion pictures (e.g., Superman, Batman, Spawn, X-Men, Dick Tracy
(okay bad example)), this could turn out to be quite lucrative.

Does anyone remember 1998, during the impeachment hearings, how the
Democrats (falsely) accused the Republicans in Congress of trying to
"overturn the election"? And how the mainstream media (uncritically)
broadcast this accusation to the public?

Fast forward to 2000: George W. Bush is the certified, legal winner
of the Presidential Election. By the rule of law, Mr. Bush is the
president-elect. Al Gore is attempting to overturn the results of
this election in the courts. Where is the outcry now? Where are the
pundits, screaming about using the courts to "reverse the results of
the election"? Where are the newspaper editorials, decrying the
"abuse of the process" in a "grab for power"?

I'm the biggest fan of El Neil, and I certainly would have voted for
him if I lived in Arizona. In light of his many critizisms of Harry
Browne, I wanted to share an excerpt from a recent column at
WorldnetDaily:

On Wednesday, Joseph Farah told us what he would
do* if he were the new President. He focused
mainly on whom he'd appoint to his cabinet, but
I'd like to tell you what actions I'd take if
I'd been elected President.

After my inaugural day, I'd probably spend little
more than an hour a day in the Oval Office,
because a busy President is a dangerous President.
But for the very first day, I'd an extremely long
agenda.

On that first day in office, by Executive Order I
would:
* Pardon everyone who had been convicted on a
federal, non-violent drug charge, order their
immediate release, reunite them with their
families, and restore all their civil rights.
(Anyone convicted of using violence against
someone else in a drug case would not qualify as
"non-violent.")

* Pardon everyone who had been convicted on any
federal gun-control charge, tax-evasion charge, or
any other victimless crime, order their immediate
release, and restore all their civil rights.

I would empty the prisons of those who haven't
harmed anyone else and make room for the violent
criminals who are currently getting out on plea
bargains and early release.

Following the issuance of the pardons:

* I would announce a policy to penalize, dismiss,
or even prosecute any federal employee who
violated the Bill of Rights by treating you as
guilty until proven innocent, by searching or
seizing your property without due process of law,
by treating you as a servant, or in any other way
violating your rights as a sovereign American
citizen...

This last flies in the face of what El Neil told us about his
conversations with Browne. Has Harry seen the light of El Neil's
"Bill of Rights Enforcement" in the aftermath of the election?
Another scheme to line the pockets of his campaign staff? "Bill of
Rights Harry" in 2004??